Watchdog Says Threats Against US Lawmakers Rose Sharply After Meta Relaxed Moderation Policies

Violent and abusive content targeting American lawmakers on Facebook increased significantly after Meta eased key content moderation rules, according to a new report released by the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

The study examined nearly eight million Facebook comments directed at 100 members of the US Congress during the six months before and after the policy changes introduced by Meta in 2025. Researchers found a substantial rise in threats, harassment and hateful language aimed at elected officials from both major political parties.

According to the report, violent threats, including calls for murder, increased fourfold following the changes. Harassing comments more than doubled, while racist and gender-based abuse also rose markedly. The watchdog said the findings suggest a connection between reduced moderation efforts and an increase in hostile online behaviour.

The report also documented a rise in threatening comments directed at Donald Trump. Researchers cited examples of posts advocating violence against the president, including explicit calls for physical harm.

Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said online platforms risk creating an environment where intimidation and harassment become normalised when they fail to enforce rules against threats and hateful conduct. He argued that weakening safeguards can embolden extremist behaviour and increase the likelihood of real-world consequences.

Meta disputed the report’s conclusions. A company spokesperson said the social media giant regularly publishes transparency reports tracking harmful content across its platforms and maintained that the prevalence of hateful conduct did not increase during 2025. The company also stated it had not been provided the report before publication and therefore could not directly address its findings.

The debate comes amid growing concerns about threats against public officials across the United States. In recent years, lawmakers, election administrators and government officials have reported increasing levels of harassment and intimidation. Several high-profile incidents have heightened those concerns, including politically motivated attacks targeting public figures.

The report follows Meta’s decision in early 2025 to discontinue its US fact-checking programme and adopt a community-driven moderation model known as Community Notes, similar to the system used by X. Under the approach, users contribute context and corrections to potentially misleading posts rather than relying on independent fact-checking organisations.

Meta also revised policies governing certain forms of speech related to gender and identity, changes that drew criticism from advocacy groups and misinformation researchers.

The shift in moderation strategy has sparked wider debate about the balance between free expression and online safety. Critics argue that reducing oversight can increase harmful content, while supporters contend that stricter moderation risks limiting legitimate political speech.

The report is likely to intensify scrutiny of social media companies as policymakers continue examining the role online platforms play in shaping public discourse and protecting users from threats and harassment.